Justin Lockhart from Cincinnati, Ohio, has been waiting outside the Apple store in New York since September 6 - four days before the new phones were even unveiled - in order to be the first in the queue.

He has come prepared with a tent, food and a solar charger to keep his current iPhone and iPad powered up.

"We have a friend's place nearby where they let us use their shower," Mr Lockhart says.

The iPhone 5S, which is not available for pre-order, comes in silver, gold and 'space grey' and features an A7 chip, a Touch ID fingerprint identity sensor, ultra-fast wireless, and an iSight camera with a larger 8MP sensor. The iPhone 5C has a similar spec, features a slightly less powerful A6 chip and comes in green, blue, yellow, pink and white.

The iPhone 5S will be priced from £549, while the 'budget' 5C will cost from £469.